Roads/Bridges projects/issues

[lrt's friend]

Here we are seeing the constraints on the project. The Transitway cannot be closed for conversion until 2015.

Also, I presume there will be no new lanes on the Queensway between Blair and the split as this is no longer a provincial highway. Doesn't this spell trouble for congestion? Or is the city going spend money and widen this section of the Queensway?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Here we are seeing the constraints on the project. The Transitway cannot be closed for conversion until 2015.

Also, I presume there will be no new lanes on the Queensway between Blair and the split as this is no longer a provincial highway. Doesn't this spell trouble for congestion? Or is the city going spend money and widen this section of the Queensway?

The main problem at the moment is that going westbound to downtown from Orleans, the 174 going towards the split has two lanes, but as soon as the 174 becomes the 417 at the split, one lane exits immediately at St. Laurent. So effectively there is only one through lane through the split going from Orleans to downtown Ottawa. This project will add an additional through lane on this stretch going towards downtown from Orleans.

[TransitZilla]

This project will also add an extra eastbound lane. Currently, there are 3, with the middle lane then either splitting of to the 174 or continuing on the 417. When this is completed, there will be 2 lanes heading to the 174 and 2 to continue on the 417. I'm not sure what that will do for eastbound traffic heading to the 174, though.

The city has essentially already widened the 174 between Blair and the 417 in both directions by joining up the on/off ramps to create a 3rd lane in each direction. As part of this project, what is currently the westbound 174 exit to the 417E will also become the exit for St Laurent Blvd.

More info here: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/eng...ea/index.shtml

[Dado]

From the Citizen article:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Pr...#ixzz1ObaANjGU

As it stands now, a messy bottleneck is created as westbound cars on the 417 cross two lanes of traffic to exit at St. Laurent Boulevard at the same time as traffic from Orléans on the 174 makes its way on to the 417 heading downtown. Now, an additional lane in each direction will improve traffic flow. And to stop the dangerous weaving that often occurs as drivers try to navigate their way through the lanes, the new road alignment will prevent drivers who are coming from Montreal on the 417 from exiting at St. Laurent. Instead, they will have to exit at Innes Road.

Now for the stupid question segment: since the problem is allegedly due to 417 traffic trying to exit at St. Laurent and since that particular problem is going to be addressed by forcing them to exit at Innes Road, why not just try the Innes Rd solution today and skip the additional lane?

Basically, we've got a poorly-designed interchange at the split and just adding lanes to it is not going to address the underlying problems. Forcing drivers off at Innes might address the symptoms somewhat, but not the problem.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Dado

From the Citizen article:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Pr...#ixzz1ObaANjGU



Now for the stupid question segment: since the problem is allegedly due to 417 traffic trying to exit at St. Laurent and since that particular problem is going to be addressed by forcing them to exit at Innes Road, why not just try the Innes Rd solution today and skip the additional lane?

Basically, we've got a poorly-designed interchange at the split and just adding lanes to it is not going to address the underlying problems. Forcing drivers off at Innes might address the symptoms somewhat, but not the problem.

I think the article got it wrong. The main problem is actually on the transition from the westbound 174 coming from Blair towards the 417 and downtown, where you effectively have three lanes of traffic at one point, but suddenly one lane disappears as the 417 East offramp to Montreal, and then right after another lane disappears at the St. Laurent offramp. Leaving probably 80% of the vehicles that were previously across three lanes having to merge into the one lane that is remaining to go downtown.

[waterloowarrior]

limebank road update from http://www.riversidesouth.org/forums...p?topic=2643.0

• Video Link

[Cre47]

Does the City of Gatineau and/or Chelsea and/or the NCC really looking everywhere to see if there are unsafe sections of roads created by the massive rainstorm of about ten days ago.

Why I bring this up? Well look at the image taken from Le Droit where it shows a section of Pink Road in Aylmer where side portions of the road have collapsed due to the rainstorm and nothing has been placed to prevent cars and cyclists of hitting or falling into the hole. It's been like this for over a week.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-droit/a...protection.php

Similarly one of my friends hit a similar pothole/crack/bump on Notch Road on a treacherous section where sides of the road were also damaged by the rain and presumably nothing was done to prevent motorists or cyclists of hitting the damaged portions. Result, she ended the rest of her trip to work (about 5 km or so) with pipes from the car scraping the roadway. That's the second time in just over a week, that her car suffered due to this same rainstorm.

If I'm able to bike this weekend I might check the area to see how bad the roads are around the Pink/Vanier/Cook/Notch/Mine/La Montagne/Klock Road area

[Cre47]

Terry Fox is now no longer in separate pieces since this morning with the portion between Richardson Side and Goulbourn Force Road now opened - so I think there is no reason not to extend the future route 93 to the Centrum as there is already a bunch of residential developments.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Terry+e...109/story.html

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Cre47

Terry Fox is now no longer in separate pieces since this morning with the portion between Richardson Side and Goulbourn Force Road now opened - so I think there is no reason not to extend the future route 93 to the Centrum as there is already a bunch of residential developments.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Terry+e...109/story.html

The ultimate Transitway alignment likely would run in the March/Teron area, so there is little incentive for them to shift the alignment. A second route would be needed from the area, and that would most likely be a limited-service route initially.

[Lakche]

There's signs on both ends of the 417 indicating that both east bound and westbound 417 will be completely closed between Carling and Maitland from July 30 to July 31st.

Also off the highway on Carling and Kirkwood there's indication that those roads will be closed too.

The new bridge segments look like they're almost done, so I assume they will be replacing them that weekend!

[Cre47]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

The ultimate Transitway alignment likely would run in the March/Teron area, so there is little incentive for them to shift the alignment. A second route would be needed from the area, and that would most likely be a limited-service route initially.

Still even if the 93 would run in the March/Teron Transitway no reason not to extend it to the Centrum from Terry Fox/ Innovation

---------------------------------------------
http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/o...utaouais.shtml

Article is in French however

Anyways, I've heard now that pretty soon the traffic cameras in Gatineau will be viewed on the Transport Quebec website which is about time, since Gatineau might have the biggest traffic woes in Quebec outside of Montreal and this has been like this for awhile too. Really dumb that while there were cameras already for over 12 years, it is still not online while other cities in Quebec which has little or no traffic problems (i.e Saguenay, Trois-Rivieres) do have traffic cams posted on the website of Transport Quebec.

Currently there are 11 cameras that can be seen during rush hour on channel 22 (Vox) or in my case Channel 9 on Illico

- Hwy 50 at La Verendrye and at St-Louis
- Hwy 5 at St-Raymond, the Hwy 50 Malfunction Junction and the MacDonald Cartier Bridge
- Both sides of the Alonzo Wright Bridge
- At the Alexandra, Chaudiere and Champlain Bridge
- At the junction of Hwy 105 and Hwy 148 (St-Joseph and Des Allumettieres roundabout)

The article says there will be 18 cameras in total. Among the new cameras added there will be one at the Lady Aberdeen Bridge. Other new areas I think there will be cameras installed might include the Portage Bridge, Maloney Boulevard and probably St-Raymond at Hwy 148 in Le Plateau. I might think there might be one at Maisoneuve and Sacre-Coeur as well. We might have those answers soon, but again finally they will be avialable online

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by Lakche

There's signs on both ends of the 417 indicating that both east bound and westbound 417 will be completely closed between Carling and Maitland from July 30 to July 31st.

Also off the highway on Carling and Kirkwood there's indication that those roads will be closed too.

The new bridge segments look like they're almost done, so I assume they will be replacing them that weekend!

Correct! That is when the bridge will be replaced. And it is only (from my understanding) Carling east bound that will be closed from Churchill to Kirkwood.

[DarkArconio]

Originally Posted by MountainView

Correct! That is when the bridge will be replaced. And it is only (from my understanding) Carling east bound that will be closed from Churchill to Kirkwood.

From Churchill to the east-bound off ramp onto Carling from the Queensway. I got a notice about it at work.

In case of any delays, the bridge exchange will occur the following weekend instead.

[Cre47]

Death Street (or more known as Bank Street) lived up to its name once again today in the south end

http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/loca...hub=OttawaHome

If this continues the way it is, we might consider the stretch of Bank Street south of Lester Road been more dangerous then the stretch of the 174 from Trim Road to Rockland.

[S-Man]

Don't forget Highway 17 through Arnprior!

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by S-Man

Don't forget Highway 17 through Arnprior!

That's provincial, not municipal, and needs a completely different treatment.

[Cre47]

And at least that problem is gradually being dealt right now with the widening of that stretch past Arnprior, unlike the other two. Haven't seen the progress though, but I know the widening was under way based on the news story with the fatal-drunk driving crash that happened several months ago on that portion.

[S-Man]

Damn, I forgot that the city boundaries end about 1 km south of Arnprior. Last time I drive through there I saw a lot going on, though.

[bobert_d]

Originally Posted by Cre47

And at least that problem is gradually being dealt right now with the widening of that stretch past Arnprior, unlike the other two. Haven't seen the progress though, but I know the widening was under way based on the news story with the fatal-drunk driving crash that happened several months ago on that portion.

I travel that stretch probably once a month, and great progress has been made, so far as I can see. I don't know what the expected completion date is, I know I saw it before, but don't remember. However, the biggest issue was and still is the rather large bridge at the Arnprior Hydroelectric station. That bridge is moving along quickly, with the steel structure appearing to be largely in place at this time. Unfortunately, I can't see the work being done on the surface of this bridge, so do not know if it's moving quickly, or not.

The approach roads have largely been constructed as well, it is the section after the bridge for the first (westbound) overpass, where the Arnprior interchange will be located, that has seen the least work, as the abutments are the only section completed for the second overpass (again, westbound). The road surface after the interchange has see grading completed to it's final point for some time now, however no work in paving has been done.

Once the new side has been completed, traffic will switch to that side, and the ol side will be rehabilitated and brought up to 400-series standards.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Cre47

Still even if the 93 would run in the March/Teron Transitway no reason not to extend it to the Centrum from Terry Fox/ Innovation

---------------------------------------------
http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/o...utaouais.shtml

Article is in French however

Anyways, I've heard now that pretty soon the traffic cameras in Gatineau will be viewed on the Transport Quebec website which is about time, since Gatineau might have the biggest traffic woes in Quebec outside of Montreal and this has been like this for awhile too. Really dumb that while there were cameras already for over 12 years, it is still not online while other cities in Quebec which has little or no traffic problems (i.e Saguenay, Trois-Rivieres) do have traffic cams posted on the website of Transport Quebec.

Currently there are 11 cameras that can be seen during rush hour on channel 22 (Vox) or in my case Channel 9 on Illico

- Hwy 50 at La Verendrye and at St-Louis
- Hwy 5 at St-Raymond, the Hwy 50 Malfunction Junction and the MacDonald Cartier Bridge
- Both sides of the Alonzo Wright Bridge
- At the Alexandra, Chaudiere and Champlain Bridge
- At the junction of Hwy 105 and Hwy 148 (St-Joseph and Des Allumettieres roundabout)

The article says there will be 18 cameras in total. Among the new cameras added there will be one at the Lady Aberdeen Bridge. Other new areas I think there will be cameras installed might include the Portage Bridge, Maloney Boulevard and probably St-Raymond at Hwy 148 in Le Plateau. I might think there might be one at Maisoneuve and Sacre-Coeur as well. We might have those answers soon, but again finally they will be avialable online

There will definitely be traffic cameras at St. Raymond/148 and Maloney/50 I've seen the posts installed already.